drmoss_ca wrote:Ingrown hairs are always due to shaving too close. The solution is to prep the beard properly (ie soften it with lots of hot water, soap, detergent, whatever and rinse completely), use really good thick lather from real soap or soap-based cream,a mild razor, and very little pressure during the shave. Your goal, after all, isn't actually to feel like a baby's bottom, it's to look like one. The wise shaver often foregoes ultimate closeness for a face that looks respectable and smooth, rather than one that is smooth but red, bumpy or covered in pilonidal foxholes. I had to learn that too, and I'm glad I did.

C.
PS Immigrant chemists are often spectacularly good. I've spent 35 years writing, sending and calling in prescriptions to many pharmacists/chemists and all of them were splendid, no matter where they came from.

brothers wrote:When it seems I have a razor bump I wash my face with a washcloth soaked with rubbing alcohol instead of water. Dries up any excess oil and removes debris. This has worked for me for many decades and never any problem afterward. Works for me.

ShadowsDad wrote:I would ditch the canned foam. It's just not as protective as what can be made with a brush and shave soap. Which leads me to a question, how good is your lather? It should resist the razor and blade contacting the skin. A sort of protective layer. It's OK to practice making lather in the hand and just put it down the drain and do it again when learning.

Great lather should be dense with bubbles so fine they're almost iridescent. When slathered on the arm (or face) the lather shouldn't dry out for at least a few minutes; longer is better. I like to really load my brush with soap, then go for a wet lather. I could make lots more lather with the amount of soap that I use, but I don't I prefer a protective, dense, almost yogurt like consistency. (Not Greek yogurt, the other stuff)

Yeah, I was thinking this, too, but, my lather seems to be pretty good. I only use the canned foam, once-a-week.